The demand for coconut products is exploding in the developed world, an OZY investigation from the Philippines and Indonesia finds that the 8 million small-scale farmers growing the fruit in the world’s two biggest coconut-exporting countries are far from benefiting and actually hurting. read more
“A slightly more accurate title would have been, “Palm oil production threatens five times more species than coconut oil. However, coconut oil threatens five times more species on a per ton basis.” Of course, a title like that wouldn’t get quite as many shares on social media.” Read more
A new study argues coconut production poses a threat to biodiversity five times greater than palm oil. Critics have accused the authors of promoting dubious statistics and an attempt to whitewash palm oil. read more
India coconut by-products industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown with South India coconut oil prices declined by around 20% in the absence of sufficient demand. Read More
Indonesia and the Philippines account for most of the world’s coconut production. But as the palm oil industry expands, helped along by generous government subsidies, coconut farmers are struggling to adapt. Read More
Global coconut products industry worth close to $13 billion in 2019, and could be worth $31 billion in 2024. This is despite the vast majority of coconuts come from smallholders, who receive extremely low prices for their harvest. Read More
BASF, Cargill, Procter & Gamble (P&G) and GIZ have cooperated in a development partnership to establish a certified coconut oil supply chain and improve the livelihood of coconut farmers in the Philippines and Indonesia. Read More
Pacific Community Coconuts for Livelihoods Project aims to strengthen the conservation and utilization of coconut diversity and to support the rejuvenation of coconut-based livelihoods in the Pacific Islands. Read More
The future of global coconut production and livelihoods critically depends on the availability of genetic diversity and the sustainable use of this broad genetic base to breed improved varieties. Harnessing and conserving agrobiodiversity are critical to sustainably boosting productivity and livelihoods, and addressing important challenges including those posed by climate change or pest and disease epidemics. Read More
Coconut offers exceptional opportunities for promoting and protecting agro-biodiversity as a shade crop and through the numerous small-holder economic opportunities derived from good intercropping farming practices. “In a true sense we have with us a treasure of valuable agrobiodiversity that we have not explored scientifically yet.” Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India Bioversity International Publication: “Mainstreaming Agrobiodiversity in Sustainable Food…
